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October 3, 2010

Babywearing. And a call to action.

I declare this month is International Babywearing Month. And with the craziness of the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) going after all slings, pouches, mei tais, etc. we have a call to action.

You can still link up here: If you feel so moved, please post your babywearing stories, photos, loves, or memories and encourage parents that the recalls from the CPSC are not due to manufacturer defect or user error.

From the BCIA: "Truly, it [babywearing] does not require special skill. There is no "if done properly." We are working to ensure that babies are kept safe all the time, and babies in slings are safe. They are in the safest space besides a mother's arms.

"That said, we will continue to educated [sic] the public about best practice -- correct positioning, and also keeping the baby's face visible to mother or caregiver in the first three months of life."Your post can just be a photo, or just words; however you choose to express it.

Is your baby sling something you can totally live without? If not, then it's time to spring forth and do something!

I know this is a Sunday and I do not want to call you away from spending time with your family. Heck, I didn't plan this, just sat down and decided to write this just now.

SO

If you want to help spread the word, write your post and link up here today or even this week when you have the chance, and visit the other links as well if you can.

PRIZE! Not only will you win the satisfaction of helping share the love of babywearing, I will randomly choose one participant* from the linky list below (Please be sure to COMMENT on this post as the linky has been disappearing! Your comment might be the only way I can draw a winner!) to win something special. I don't know what yet- might not necessarily be babywearing related and it might possibly be something I make for you, but it will be special and a thank you. :)

71 comments:

Here's my babe last winter after our first walk to the grocery store in the Peanut shell..she passed out cold and let her mama get her shopping done! It was a lifesaver for me - we eventually moved into the Beco.

We are planning a walk around with other moms while wearing our baby's. Do you know of any material we could pass out...or maybe a cute sticker/sign we would print out that says "International babywearing week"?? or "I wear my baby"....

i hope it's okay i just linked an older post of mine, that i just love about babywearing. :) if i get time to write a current post, you know, like if baby #2 doesn't come at any second, then i will link that one up too.

Stephanie, thank you for answering this call. I know I'm not a momma, but have had experience with babywearing with the many little ones I sit for (so wrote a post on my blog about it). It is a great joy and honor to have that experience and cannot wait for it with my own children one day.

I don't have a blog however I do love babywearing. I have worn both of my children in a sling, mei tai, and soft-structured carriers. I can't say enough good things about them. They not only keep my kiddos close especially in crowded places without having to lug around a stroller but keep them happy. They can see so many things and feel close to me when worn.

Baby wearing allows me to be the mom that I want to be. My youngest son came home from the hospital on my oldest son's third birthday. Baby wearing allowed me to have my baby safely at the party without having to worry about him being passed around or missing important boding time. Baby wearing allows me to give both my boys my all, all of the time.

I love baby wearing and my hubby also baby wears! I started in 1994 with my 1st son, back then that was rare thing in our town so the looks/questions/comments I got were a bit funny. My 3 yrs old still asks to be worn (backpacked) and my 1year old brings his wrap to me when he's ready for a nap. :)

This is like deja vu all over again. When I was a new mom the CPSC was up in arms about co-sleeping, using a few highly-dramatized cases to make the point that ALL bedsharing is unsafe PERIOD. I was offended then and I'm offended now. Life is not sterile. Bad things happen to babies: at home, in the car (and even in CPSC-approved infant safety seats!), at the hospital, in their CPSC-approved cribs and strollers...and yes, sometimes in adult beds and baby carriers. I am all for making products as safe as possible, but the CPSC is seriously overstepping its bounds here. Imagine if ALL cribs, strollers, car seats, hospital maternity wards, etc were ruled unsafe due to the failure of one?

I just came back from a conference where I presentedtwo talks, once with baby asleep in heling and once while breastfeeding... you can't do that with a pram or structured carrier. One of the talks was about the importance of retaining mothering practices that can be done in any home rich or poor, anywhere in the world --- although I was speaking on hygiene, not babywearing, babywearing certainly falls into that category -- as a student i can't afford all the fancy baby equipment soldin stores!

LOVE babywearing! So much, I'd LOVE to start a babywearing party business. With child #3, it has been so helpful to wear the baby while putting the others to bed, in and out of appointments (instead of breaking my back with the infant carseat), going for walks, nursing while getting ready in the morning....I LOVE it and want to spread the love around :)http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1637874335

I just now saw this, and I just happen to write a babywearing post yesterday, so I linked up. :)

I LOVE babywearing, and I can't fathom living without it. It was important for me because my first was difficult and had colic and would never let me put her down. It's important with my second so that I have my hands free to take care of my first (and everything else)! I use my carriers every single day.

Thanks for hosting this, Stephanie and getting the word out. Obviously, not as urgent for me (since I"m in Canada) but we can't share and write and speak from our hearts enough about this, can we? I'm in.

This is wonderful that you're hosting this, pulling together stories from so many who's lives have been affected fro the better by babywearing. I have a post from this past spring about all the memories I have of wearing my son in our mei tai...is that too old to link up?

i just got my post in under the wire. thanks for doing this. i swear i'd be in the psych ward if i wasn't able to wear my babies. it helped me bond with my boys despite crippling post-partum depression. (i didn't put that in my post, but that's the honest truth.)

I've had fairly limited babywearing experience with babies but we have discovered a love for Ergos with our tots and look forward to experimenting when our new baby comes this spring.Thanks for introducing us to the idea!

Here is my link...I wasn't sure if it was going to work or not. My 2nd has made me love babywearing more and more everyday! You have to have your hands when you have two and I love the every day snuggles.http://longgrainrice.blogspot.com/2010/10/this-one-is-from-mommy.html